O'Donovan happy with tour

20 June 2005 14:08

Ireland's end-of-season report card will be marked by stand-in coach Niall O'Donovan on the flight home from Tokyo on Monday.

And it is likely to prove encouraging reading for British & Irish Lions-tied head coach Eddie O'Sullivan after O'Donovan's side expectedly wrapped up their second win over Japan on Sunday and blooded their seventh debutant on tour in Leinster flyer Kieran Lewis.

A seven-try 47-18 defeat of the Cherry Blossoms brought the curtains down on a Test campaign which began for the Irish with the Ronan O'Gara-inspired defeat of South Africa back in early November.

Notably in O'Gara's Lions-imposed absence, David Humphreys reassumed the Irish points scoring record (542) from the Munster fly-half as the tourists impressed at Tokyo's Prince Chichibu ground in tallying up their eighth win of the 2004-05 term.

Centre Gavin Duffy improved his international chances with a two-try salvo, so too Munster hooker Frankie Sheahan, who foraged and led from the front.

Youthful lock combination Leo Cullen and Matt McCullough again lorded it in the line-out and the rampaging back row unit of Munster trio Denis Leamy, David Wallace and Alan Quinlan - an early replacement for the injured Eric Miller - provided plenty of ball-carrying bulk.

Still, leading by just four points at the break in the second Test - thanks to Japan wing Daisuke Ohata's 34th-minute breakaway try - was not an ideal scenario for O'Donovan.

''We went out to try and move the ball wider and attack Japan from different positions, but it backfired a bit on us,'' said the former Munster assistant.

''By half-time we had dug a hole for ourselves, but the players came out in the second half and dug themselves out of it, which was a great achievement.''

With Shigeyasu Takagi sin-binned before the break, the Irish struck for two crucial tries from Humphreys and Duffy in the time the Japanese loosehead prop was off the field.

O'Donovan paid tribute to the home side who, despite a scatter-brained set piece, provided the tourists with another stiff challenge in the dead heat of the Japanese capital.

He continued: ''You have got to give them credit. They played with a lot of pride for the 80 minutes.

"They were worked very hard at the breakdown and their tackling one-on-one was superb.

''But I was delighted with the tries we got. I thought there was some good football in the tries.

"I think we did a lot of good things and then at times, forced things too much and that put us under added pressure.

''You have to factor in the heat. We set off in each half playing the type of game we wanted but gradually, fatigue set in at the end of both halves.''

The true success of Ireland's summer excursion to the Far East will be borne out when O'Sullivan picks his squad for a trio of autumn internationals, which include Lansdowne Road dates with New Zealand and Australia.

Wales acting head coach Rob Howley, Ireland defence coach Andy Farrell and England forwards coach Steve Borthwick will all work under Warren Gatland on next summer's British & Irish Lions tour in New Zealand.

The trial introduction of bonus points to the RBS 6 Nations, the Women's Six Nations and the Under 20s Six Nations will enhance the Championships and encourage positive rugby according to Six Nations Chief Executive Officer John Feehan.

Wales acting head coach Rob Howley, Ireland defence coach Andy Farrell and England forwards coach Steve Borthwick will all work under Warren Gatland on next summer's British & Irish Lions tour in New Zealand.

The trial introduction of bonus points to the RBS 6 Nations, the Women's Six Nations and the Under 20s Six Nations will enhance the Championships and encourage positive rugby according to Six Nations Chief Executive Officer John Feehan.

The trial introduction of bonus points to the RBS 6 Nations, the Women's Six Nations and the Under 20s Six Nations will enhance the Championships and encourage positive rugby according to Six Nations Chief Executive Officer John Feehan.

Wales acting head coach Rob Howley, Ireland defence coach Andy Farrell and England forwards coach Steve Borthwick will all work under Warren Gatland on next summer's British & Irish Lions tour in New Zealand.